1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard slide mechanism for use in a notebook personal computer, personal digital assistant, word processor, typewriter, or the like, and to an information device provided with such a keyboard slide mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, in products like information devices, such as portable personal computers as represented by notebook personal computers, in which portability is an important factor to be considered to form the product concept, further reduction of weight and thickness has been sought. On the other hand, there is a demand for better operability of such information devices as achieved in particular by maximizing the keystroke of the keyboard used as a main input means in them to make the feel of their keyboard as close as possible to that of the ordinary keyboard used in desktop personal computers.
To meet these conflicting demands, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-54964 (Japanese Patent Registered No. 2857353) discloses a keyboard structure in which individual keys are expanded and contracted as a lid is opened and closed.
Moreover, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-298000 (Japanese Patent Registered No. 2875697) discloses a keyboard for use as an input means in an information processing device in which, when the keyboard is not used, the key tops are held down to make the device thin and easily portable and, when the keyboard is used, the key tops are brought up to secure a sufficient key stroke for better operability of the device.
Moreover, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-259684 discloses a keyboard that is raised and lowered as a lid is opened and closed for better operability of the device incorporating it, eventually making the device thin and easily portable.
However, in the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-54964 (Japanese Patent Registered No. 2857353) mentioned above, to drive a base structure (signal pad structure) from a first position to a second position, it is necessary to use a cam that has a protruding portion formed thereon so as to protrude from a lid housing having a display screen housed therein. This not only makes satisfactory reduction of thickness impossible, but is also undesirable in terms of safety and appearance.
In the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-298000 (Japanese Patent Registered No. 2875697) mentioned above, large mechanisms are necessary to permit sliding movement of a flat spring sheet, to permit sliding operation of a slide bar, and to permit a sheet member to move upward and downward as the lid is opened and closed. This makes satisfactory reduction of weight and thickness impossible.
In the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-259684 mentioned above, a large mechanism is necessary to move a housing unit. This makes satisfactory reduction of weight and thickness impossible.
An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard slide mechanism for use in a keyboard structure that permits further reduction of weight and thickness without sacrificing operability and reliability in a portable personal computer or the like.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a keyboard slide mechanism for use in a keyboard that is so structured that key tops are raised and lowered as a sliding member is slid is provided with a rotary member that can be rotated, converting means for converting the rotating movement of the rotary member into translating movement, and movement magnifying means for magnifying the translating movement produced by the converting means. Here, the key tops are raised and lowered by converting the rotating movement of the rotary member into translating movement with the converting means, then magnifying the translating movement with the movement magnifying means, and then, transmitting the magnified translating movement to the sliding member.